# UD Melilla

Unión Deportiva Melilla is a Spanish football team based in the autonomous city of Melilla. Founded in 1976, it currently plays in Segunda Federación – Group 5, holding home matches at Estadio Municipal Álvarez Claro, with an 8,000 capacity venue.

## History

Founded in 1976 as Gimnástico Melilla Club de Fútbol after a merger of Melilla CF and Club Gimnástico de Cabrerizas, the club immediately took Cabrerizas' place in Tercera División. Renamed Unión Deportiva Melilla (as an honour to the club founded in the 1940s) in 1980, it reached Segunda División B in 1987.
Melilla reached the last 32 of the Copa del Rey in 2012–13 where they were eliminated 4–2 on aggregate by La Liga side Levante UD, having won the first leg 1–0 at home via a Fernando Velasco penalty. Six years later, at the same stage, the team were beaten 10–1 on aggregate by Real Madrid.
Melilla's 34-year run in the third tier ended following the 2020–21 Segunda División B, when the team were put in the new fourth-level Segunda Federación after a league restructuring. In April 2023, following two years at that level, the team won automatic promotion as champions.

### Club background

* Juventud Español — (1940–43)
* Melilla Fútbol Club — (1921–43)
* Unión Deportiva Melilla — (1943–56)
* Club Deportivo Tesorillo — (1940–56)
* Melilla Club de Fútbol – (1956–76)
* Club Gimnástico de Cabrerizas – (1973–76)
* Sociedad Deportiva Melilla – (1970–76)
* Gimnástico Melilla Club de Fútbol – (1976–80)
* Unión Deportiva Melilla – (1980–)

#### Other clubs from Melilla

* Club Deportivo Real Melilla — (1939–)
* Club de Fútbol Melilla Industrial – (1968–74)
* Club de Fútbol Industrial Melilla – (1975–85)
* Melilla Fútbol Club — (1985–91)

## Rivalry

The Ceuta-Melilla derby was between Melilla and AD Ceuta, who were dissolved in 2012. The two clubs travelled to face each other via the Spanish mainland to avoid entering Morocco.

## Season to season

| Season | Tier | Division | Place | Copa del Rey |
| 1976–77 | 3 | 3ª | 16th | 1st round |
| 1977–78 | 4 | 3ª | 4th | 1st round |
| 1978–79 | 4 | 3ª | 2nd | 1st round |
| 1979–80 | 4 | 3ª | 10th | 1st round |
| 1980–81 | 4 | 3ª | 3rd | 1st round |
| 1981–82 | 4 | 3ª | 8th | 1st round |
| 1982–83 | 4 | 3ª | 4th | |
| 1983–84 | 4 | 3ª | 10th | 1st round |
| 1984–85 | 4 | 3ª | 3rd | |
| 1985–86 | 4 | 3ª | 8th | 1st round |
| 1986–87 | 4 | 3ª | 3rd | |
| 1987–88 | 3 | 2ª B | 7th | 2nd round |
| 1988–89 | 3 | 2ª B | 15th | 1st round |
| 1989–90 | 3 | 2ª B | 2nd | |
| 1990–91 | 3 | 2ª B | 6th | 2nd round |
| 1991–92 | 3 | 2ª B | 14th | 1st round |
| 1992–93 | 3 | 2ª B | 15th | 3rd round |
| 1993–94 | 3 | 2ª B | 15th | 2nd round |
| 1994–95 | 3 | 2ª B | 12th | 1st round |
| 1995–96 | 3 | 2ª B | 12th | |
| Season | Tier | Division | Place | Copa del Rey |
| 1996–97 | 3 | 2ª B | 11th | |
| 1997–98 | 3 | 2ª B | 5th | |
| 1998–99 | 3 | 2ª B | 1st | |
| 1999–2000 | 3 | 2ª B | 9th | 1st round |
| 2000–01 | 3 | 2ª B | 8th | |
| 2001–02 | 3 | 2ª B | 16th | |
| 2002–03 | 3 | 2ª B | 14th | |
| 2003–04 | 3 | 2ª B | 7th | |
| 2004–05 | 3 | 2ª B | 8th | First round |
| 2005–06 | 3 | 2ª B | 8th | |
| 2006–07 | 3 | 2ª B | 9th | |
| 2007–08 | 3 | 2ª B | 7th | |
| 2008–09 | 3 | 2ª B | 6th | Third round |
| 2009–10 | 3 | 2ª B | 2nd | Second round |
| 2010–11 | 3 | 2ª B | 3rd | Third round |
| 2011–12 | 3 | 2ª B | 5th | First round |
| 2012–13 | 3 | 2ª B | 9th | Round of 32 |
| 2013–14 | 3 | 2ª B | 8th | |
| 2014–15 | 3 | 2ª B | 7th | |
| 2015–16 | 3 | 2ª B | 9th | First round |
| Season | Tier | Division | Place | Copa del Rey |
| 2016–17 | 3 | 2ª B | 6th | |
| 2017–18 | 3 | 2ª B | 5th | First round |
| 2018–19 | 3 | 2ª B | 3rd | Round of 32 |
| 2019–20 | 3 | 2ª B | 13th | First round |
| 2020–21 | 3 | 2ª B | 7th / 1st | |
| 2021–22 | 4 | 2ª Fed. | 9th | |
| 2022–23 | 4 | 2ª Fed. | 1st | |
| 2023–24 | 3 | 1ª Fed. | 18th | Second round |
| 2024–25 | 4 | 2ª Fed. | | |
* 1 season in Primera Federación
* 34 seasons in Segunda División B
* 3 seasons in Segunda Federación/Segunda División RFEF
* 11 seasons in Tercera División

## Current squad

    As of 15 August 2024
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | ESP | Adrián Romero |
| 2 | DF | ESP | Diego Ceballos |
| 3 | DF | ESP | Dani Hernández |
| 4 | DF | ESP | Manuel Gálan |
| 5 | DF | ESP | Isma Armenteros |
| 7 | MF | ESP | Víctor Morillo |
| 9 | MF | ESP | Ivan Fernandez |
| 10 | FW | ESP | Carlos Bravo |
| 11 | MF | GEO | Beka Kavtaradze |
| 13 | GK | ESP | Eduardo Loscos |
| 14 | DF | ESP | José Manuel Alonso |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 16 | DF | ESP | Adrián Tovar |
| 17 | MF | ESP | Robert García |
| 18 | MF | ESP | Adriá Arjona |
| 19 | FW | ESP | Iván Ramos |
| 20 | FW | PER | Jeisson Martínez |
| 22 | DF | ESP | Sergio Mendinueta |
| 23 | MF | ESP | Armando Corbalán |
| 26 | MF | ESP | Abdel Lah Mohamed |
| 30 | GK | ESP | Óscar Jiménez |

## Notable players

* Alberto Bernardo
* Aritz Solabarrieta
* Constantino Errazquin
* Chota
* Totó
* Dorronsoro
* Pepillo

## Notable managers

* Juan Ramón López Caro
* Juan Antonio Anquela

## Reserve team

Their reserve team, UD Melilla B, played for several years in Primera Autonómica Melilla and in Tercera División before ceasing activities in 2012. In 2013, Casino del Real CF became their reserve side, and was subsequently renamed to Melilla B in 2014.